Monsters vs. Aliens

Aside from shots of Saturn's rings, an exploding planet, and a computer geek playing paddleball, the 3-D effects of this DreamWorks animation don't jump out at you, which suggests the format may be moving beyond gimmickry. It certainly enhances the sculptured curves of the winsome heroine (given voice by Reese Witherspoon), who mutates into a 50-foot woman after being struck by a meteor on her wedding day. Children won't get the references to atomic-age monster movies, but the film offers more than nostalgia: there are slyly funny performances by Seth Rogen as an omnivorous blue blob and Stephen Colbert as the U.S. president, who faces down, and then flees, an alien invasion. Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) and Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2) directed.
ByAndrea Gronvall